Pokemon Firered and Leafgreen
Pokémon FireRed Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスターファイアレッド Pocket Monsters Firered) and Pokémon LeafGreen Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスターリーフグリーン Pocket Monsters Leafgreen) are a pair of main series Generation III games that are set in the Kanto region. By nature, the games are remakes of the original pair of Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Green, and so feature all of the characters, plot elements, and challenges of them, but with several important upgrades to bring them up to speed with other Generation III games. Despite the fact that, outside of Japan, Red Version was paired with Blue Version, LeafGreen saw release internationally. A trademark was filed for "Pokémon WaterBlue Version", however, indicating that this renaming may have been considered. FireRed and LeafGreen went on to become the second best-selling games of the Game Boy Advance, only behind Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Contents hide 1 Improvements from previous games 2 Plot 3 Version exclusives 4 Compatibility 5 Trivia Improvements from previous games Players can now play as a female character, as well as choosing to play as the male character that was default in Generation I. Music has been tuned up to take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's power; however, the themes themselves remain the same. As in all Generation III games, Pokémon now have natures, abilities, genders, and can hold items. Pokémon retain their Generation II and III evolutionary lines (e.g. Golbat can evolve into Crobat), but cannot evolve into these stages until the player has obtained the National Dex. Magnemite and Magneton are Electric/Steel, as they were in Generation II as well as Ruby and Sapphire. A new southern region, the Sevii Islands, is accessible, where Generation II Pokémon can be caught. Pokémon can breed in the Pokémon daycare in Four Island. Trainers outdoors can be rebattled using the Vs Seeker. Information on major characters, e.g. Gym Leaders, stored in the Fame Checker. Pokémon movelists are updated to include moves introduced in Generation II and Generation III. The TM list is shared with other Generation III games. Move tutors become available to teach moves formerly contained in Generation I TMs. The Elite Four can be re-battled and get Generation II Pokémon on their teams in addition to Generation I Pokémon after the Sevii Islands quest has been completed. Version-exclusive Pokémon and wild Pokémon distribution have been altered from the original games to account for new evolutions released in Generation II. Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, and Hydro Cannon are available as move tutor moves to the Kanto starters' final forms. Deoxys appears in new forms: Attack Forme in FireRed and Defense Forme in LeafGreen. Team Rocket has an expanded role in the game's post-Elite storyline, with a new base in the Sevii Islands. Battles with wild legendary Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo feature a remixed battle theme. In non-Japanese versions, the dialogues are colored, depending if it is from a male or female, being the colors blue and pink, respectively. In dialogues from other sources, such as signs, the text remains black. A help feature was added, and can be viewed by pressing the L or R buttons of the console. The GBA Wireless Adapter was initially included with the games when they were first released, eliminating the need for link cables when trading between the two games (and later Emerald). Plot The plot essentially follows the same storyline as Generation I, with the player beginning in Pallet Town. After meeting Professor Oak while trying to leave for Route 1, both the player and his or her rival are asked by Oak to choose a starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, from the desk near him. Oak allows the player to choose first and the rival quickly gets jealous, chooses the starter whose type weakens that of the player's, and challenges the player to a battle. After the battle has ended, Oak allows the two new Trainers to leave for their journey across Kanto. Stopping off in Viridian City's Poké Mart, the player will find that a package has come in for the professor, and the clerk asks that it be delivered to him. After this has been completed, the professor gives two Pokédexes, one for the player, and one for the rival, away to them, and sends them on their way. Viridian has a Gym; however, it is locked. From here, the player has their first encounter with other Trainers, on Route 2 and in Viridian Forest, and their first encounter with a Gym Leader: Brock the Rock-type Gym Leader of Pewter City. After his defeat, journeying along Route 3 and through Mt. Moon brings the player face to face with the regional villainous team Team Rocket, attempting to extract rare fossils from the cave. Their defeat allows the player to continue through the cave and onto Route 4, which leads directly into Cerulean City, where another Gym is. This one, however, is run by Misty, and specializes on Water-type Pokémon. To the north, as well, there are two routes leading up to Bill's cottage, where he will give the player a ticket for the S.S. Anne, a luxury ship moored in Vermilion Harbor and filled with Trainers. Taking a shortcut through a house burglarized by Team Rocket, the player finally arrives at Route 5. After traveling down Routes 5 and 6, using the Underground Path to bypass Saffron City, the player finally arrives in Vermilion. This city is home to another Pokémon Gym; however, the way to it is blocked by a small tree! The only thing to do is to show the ticket to the Sailor guarding the harbor, allowing entry into the S.S. Anne. It is here, after assisting the captain with his seasickness, that the player will obtain the first of the seven Hidden Machines available in the game, containing Cut. With this, and the Cascade Badge, the tree blocking the way to Vermilion Gym can be easily cut through, and Lt. Surge, a Gym Leader specializing in Electric-types, can be challenged. From here, Route 11 beckons, as does Diglett's Cave, through which is the only way to get back to Route 2, and a second HM, containing Flash. Then it's back to Cerulean and to the east, onto Route 9 and towards the Rock Tunnel. Rock Tunnel, a still undeveloped natural tunnel between the sections of Route 10, is pitch black inside; for this reason, Flash is recommended, but not required, for navigation of it. Finally reaching Lavender Town, the only town in Kanto without a Pokémon Gym besides Pallet, there is not much to do; the local Pokémon Tower is haunted. From here, Route 8 leads to Saffron City, but it again must be bypassed by way of another Underground Path, which has its other entrance on Route 7, on the west side of Saffron. Celadon City, the home of the fourth Gym, specializing in Grass-type Pokémon is just a short walk further. Like the Vermilion Gym, the Celadon Gym also has a small tree blocking the way to its entrance, and an old man outside. After stopping off at the Celadon Mansion and getting some Tea, Saffron City can finally be entered. However, Team Rocket is guarding every door in the city, including that of the local Pokémon Gym! The city's centerpiece building, Silph Co.'s headquarters, has also been infiltrated by the organization, and at the top, waiting in the boardroom, is the Team Rocket Boss, Giovanni, demanding that the president give him the Master Ball that the company had developed. After his defeat, he flees. The Gym is now open, and its Leader, Sabrina, specializes in Psychic-types. The floor, as well, is covered in warp tiles that make it difficult to navigate. After Sabrina's defeat, all that is left to do is deal with the ghosts in Lavender's Pokémon Tower, and to do that, one needs a Silph Scope. The Rocket Game Corner in Celadon is not what it appears to be. In fact, the game corner itself is merely the above ground portion of a sprawling underground complex: the Rocket Hideout. It is here that Giovanni appears a second time, and after his defeat, flees, leaving behind a Silph Scope. After this, the Pokémon Tower can be navigated, and the ghosts haunting it are revealed to be Gastly and Haunter. In front of the stairs to the final floor, blocking the way, is also a final spirit, that of a deceased Marowak that was killed by Team Rocket when they captured her child. Making it all the way to the top reveals Mr. Fuji held hostage by Team Rocket grunts, who will leave when they are defeated. Fuji gives away the Poké Flute, and with that, the Snorlax blocking Route 11 and Route 16 can finally be moved away. Another HM, containing Fly, can be obtained easily by cutting away a tree blocking the northern section of Route 16. Traveling down either way the Snorlax are blocking, a faster way via Routes 16, 17, and 18 on Cycling Road, or down the Silence Bridge of Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15, inevitably brings one to the southernmost city in continental Kanto, Fuchsia City, home of Koga of the Poisonous Fuchsia Gym and the Kanto Safari Zone. The Safari Zone is currently running a contest: the person to reach a specific rest house first will win yet another HM, containing Surf. Finding Safari Zone Warden's Gold Teeth also will have him reward the player with the final of Kanto's HMs, containing Strength. With six badges in hand, and five HMs in the TM Case, finally the player can adventure onto the open sea of Routes 19 and 20. A short way across them, of course, is a minor obstacle: the Seafoam Islands. After they have been navigated through, the player can continue on Route 20 to Cinnabar Island, home of Blaine's Fire-type Gym. There are also several more facilities on the island, including one that actually revives Pokémon fossils. After Blaine's defeat, Bill shows up again, because he needs help in a region east of Kanto, the Sevii Islands. If the player accepts, the Seagallop Ferry will travel to One Island, where a friend of Bill's, Celio, is attempting to connect the islands' PC system to that of Kanto. During this, there is also a crisis in Two Island, where the daughter of the owner of the Joyful Game Corner has gone missing, and in Three Island where a group of invading Bikers are causing trouble. After defeating them and finding the lost girl, Lostelle, who is in Berry Forest, Bill and the player will return to Kanto, where the final Gym, that of Viridian City, lies. Finally unlocked, the Gym, whose leader specializes in Ground-types, is revealed to be none other than the boss of Team Rocket himself, Giovanni! After his defeat, he vows to disband Team Rocket and disappears. Now with eight badges, all that lies ahead is the Pokémon League at the Indigo Plateau, conveniently at the end of Route 23. The Elite Four await challengers, those who have proven themselves worthy by getting all eight badges and making it through Victory Road will face them, in order. Lorelei, who trains Ice-type Pokémon is first, followed by Bruno, whose specialty is Fighting, Agatha, whose specialty is Ghost, and finally Lance, who specializes in Dragon-types. After defeating these four, the reigning Pokémon champion challenges the player to a final battle, and the champion is none other than the player's own rival! After his defeat, Oak arrives and tells the player that they won because they care better for their Pokémon, and the player's current party are added to the Hall of Fame. After the credits roll, the player is back in Pallet Town. Professor Oak will have the player come to his lab to check on the Pokédex, and if the player has caught at least 60 Pokémon, will upgrade it and ask for the player to return to the Sevii Islands to encounter Pokémon Oak has never before seen. There is some more work that Celio needs to do on his network machine, as he wishes to link to yet another region. The signal, however, is not strong enough, and he needs the Ruby and the Sapphire, two items found in the Sevii Islands, to strengthen it. The Ruby is found deep in a cave in Mt. Ember, which Team Rocket grunts have been seen fooling around with. The Sapphire lies at the deepest part of the Dotted Hole in Ruin Valley. The Ruby can be given to Celio without a hitch; however, the Sapphire, when found, is stolen by a Scientist named Gideon, who takes it back to Team Rocket's warehouse in the Five Isle Meadow. By infiltrating the warehouse and defeating the remaining Rocket Admins, they realize that Giovanni has disbanded Team Rocket. They do, however, vow to return one day, and bring Team Rocket back to its glory. Gideon reluctantly gives back the Sapphire, and after this, trades are possible with the Hoenn-based Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. The Elite Four can once again be challenged, and their Pokémon are 12 levels higher (Blue's levels are 10 higher), as well as some of them possessing new Pokémon. Cerulean Cave, as well, is now open, and the powerful Mewtwo can be found there. Version exclusives The following Pokémon are only obtainable in one game of this pair. In order to obtain Pokémon exclusive to the other game of this pair, they must be traded either from that game or from another compatible game of Generation III which has that Pokémon available. In addition, several Generation II Pokémon and a majority of Generation III Pokémon must be traded from a Hoenn-based game. FireRed 023 Ekans Poison 024 Arbok Poison 043 Oddish Grass Poison 044 Gloom Grass Poison 045 Vileplume Grass Poison 182 Bellossom Grass 054 Psyduck Water 055 Golduck Water 058 Growlithe Fire 059 Arcanine Fire 090 Shellder Water 091 Cloyster Water Ice 123 Scyther Bug Flying 212 Scizor Bug Steel 239 Elekid Electric 125 Electabuzz Electric 194 Wooper Water Ground 195 Quagsire Water Ground 198 Murkrow Dark Flying 211 Qwilfish Water Poison 225 Delibird Ice Flying 227 Skarmory Steel Flying 386 Deoxys Attack Forme Psychic LeafGreen 027 Sandshrew Ground 028 Sandslash Ground 037 Vulpix Fire 038 Ninetales Fire 069 Bellsprout Grass Poison 070 Weepinbell Grass Poison 071 Victreebel Grass Poison 079 Slowpoke Water Psychic 080 Slowbro Water Psychic 199 Slowking Water Psychic 120 Staryu Water 121 Starmie Water Psychic 240 Magby Fire 126 Magmar Fire 127 Pinsir Bug 298 Azurill Normal 183 Marill Water 184 Azumarill Water 200 Misdreavus Ghost 215 Sneasel Dark Ice 223 Remoraid Water 224 Octillery Water 226 Mantine Water Flying 386 Deoxys Defense Forme Psychic Compatibility FireRed and LeafGreen were created as a result of the first Generation III games, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, lacking backward compatibility with Generations I and II. Trading between these games and the third Hoenn-based game, Pokémon Emerald, is possible through the traditional link cable. Trading with other copies of FireRed or LeafGreen as well as with Emerald may also be done through the GBA Wireless Adapter, though Ruby and Sapphire are not compatible with it. While FireRed and LeafGreen cannot trade directly with the Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, a player's Pokémon may be permanently transferred via Pal Park, and some Generation I Pokémon can be found using the dual-slot mode. Trivia The LeafGreen Pokédex entries are the same as those in the original Red and Blue Versions (as well as the Japanese Blue version) for the 151 Kanto Pokémon. The FireRed entries for the same Pokémon are the same as those in the original Red and Green, which were previously not translated into English or other languages. The Pokédex entries in LeafGreen were also used for the international Pokédex entries featured in Diamond and Pearl. The Pokédex entries for most of the Generation II Pokémon are the same as those in Gold and Silver, with Silver's entries being in FireRed and Gold's being in LeafGreen. The truck, long rumored to have a Poké Ball containing Mew under it, appears again as scenery near the S.S. Anne. This time around, however, following the instructions of Generation I earn the player a Lava Cookie. A number of references to the plot and characters of the Generation II games, Pokémon Gold and Silver, appear in these games. These were interpreted correctly by fans as hints at an eventual remake of the pair in Generation IV. Within the game's code, there is a piece of text that reads, "By the way, if you like this game, buy it or die.". This text actually does appear within the ROM of the game when using a Seagallop Ferry as an anti-piracy measure. Several ROM dumpers have verified this is not something inserted by a third-party. FireRed and LeafGreen, as well as their namesakes, are the only main series Pokémon games to be released in the first two thirds of the year in Japan. All of the others to date have been released between September and December.